a week of questions – Three

The other day, someone asked me why I was trying to learn a conversational level of Spanish at this time – Saint Luke’s Hospital in New Bedford, MA birth certificate says 74 – in my life. I answered that there is some sense of honoring for me, honoring folks whose primary language is Spanish with me speaking just a bit of it. Honoring a culture, I guess, in some small way. Being a better citizen. As it’s 15 miles to the Mexican border from where I slow dance on this keyboard, it feels like a decent idea.

I could have added, being clear about this, it’s likely that attempting to learn another language at this place and time on the journey that’s my life will help what brains cells remain up in my noggin continue to light up. Maybe, even, shine brighter. Possibly, even, fire up a few new ones.

I also could have added, there’s fun in it for me. It’s fun.

Today I got to wake up to a new day, and when the light appeared through the blinds I opened them to another dawn. I wrote in my Morning Pages, this Wednesday has come to fetch me, to host me, and I am its guest. Of course, I can see it the other way too. Here I am, up again, hosting another Wednesday in this pretty long life of Wednesdays, so it’s this shining day which is a guest of mine. The guest arrives, and I get to be courteous.

All of which reminds me of Aretha Franklin’s “Who’s Zoomin’ Who?” Guest, host? Honoring, honored one? Who’s zooming who?

It’s a worthy question.